A Traveller's Journey
by harplayer
Summary: 20 years post Kyuubi attack, A masked man wandered into the Elemental Countries to travel to his Parents Homelands to see their fate. What he found was not what he was seeking, nor was he ready for. but life works in mysterious ways.


One man's Lousy Timing, Another man's Victory

_On the night of Naruto Uzamaki Namikaze's Birth, in most worlds, his family died. However on this particular plane, Uchiha Madara didn't get there on time. Thus the first, and only surviving child of the Yondaime Hokage and his wife, the seal mistress of Whirlpool, Survived. The night of his sister's birth 2 years later to the day of his, Uchiha Madara did get them on time. Thus the hokage's family was destroyed that night. ….But his legacy LIVES…_

Scene location: The private garden of the Hokage Tower Rooftop.

It was a quiet afternoon in mid spring April, Kushina sat on the rooftop on a bench overlooking the Garden to the right, The view of Konoha to her left. Her pride and joy, her son, Naruto, lay in his carrier having finished his cereal and formula and had just dozed off to a well-deserved nap .Kushina sat there glowing in her early Pregnancy state. She felt the mental tug of her tenant, so she started her meditation state, wondering what the fox wanted.

Appearing in her mindscape, she focused, found the signature and walked down the beaches of old Whirlpool. In the distance, sat the Kyuubi, chained to a jutting mass of rock off from the beach slightly. As Kushina , walked up, She took in the sight of the somewhat docile fox. He had mellowed after Naruto birth. The fox had viewed Naruto as much her son as Kushina's. The need to protect the new family as important as any mothers.

Kushina, not one to waste time, Asked, "What's up?"

"_**How is our boy?"**_

"He's well, He has the cutest whiskers thanks to you."

'_**They are just the beginning; he has more than a simple blessing. His vision will be sharp and acute, He will think better on the move than anyone else. He will be better than any other puny ningen, but that is not why I called you. "**_

Kushina was happy; her sacrifice of being a carrier ensured her son would be marvelous shinobi. But she was confused, why had the fox called her?

"_**Kushina, You do remember what I told you before the kit's birth? I've sensed his presence again, and it is a constant presence now. You will need to protect the Kit, Do what you have to and beyond, ensure that our legacy lives. Make sure he knows whom his enemies are, as well as our enemies. Make sure he is not here when the time comes. We both know what will happen should you fail. "**_

After inducing labor early at the foxes behest, Minato had fought off an Angry Uchiha Madara, Who vowed he would come back for his pet. Thus the first son of the Yondaime was not a sacrifice, and he had beaming parents whom showed him off to all the clans. All the while dodging marriage contracts and other promises that were all politically motivated.

That night after leaving the Tower, Minato and Kushina sat in the Hokage Mansion, feet up on the coffee table in their sitting room. Kushina with her arms wrapped on her now beginning to show stomach, leaned onto Minato shoulder and spoke quietly. "Minato, The fox wanted to talk today."

The Yondaime, being no one's fool instantly sharpened his mental acuity. "What did the vixen want?'

"She's sensed _HIS_ presence, she warns we have to prepare to hide Naruto."

"What do you suggest?"

"We gather copies of the entire Whirlpool legacy and all the legacy you and I would leave to our children, We prepare it down to two large scrolls, seal those into one large scroll, along with supplies to allow whomever we choose to guard our son to leave the continent if need be. When I deliver we have our clan retainer armed, stocked and ready to go with our son should the worst occur. If the worst occurs, It should be his choice if he ever returns to his homelands. But if he chooses to return he will also need the prepared clan documents necessary to regrow the Uzumaki and Namikaze. We will need to make sure by law he will not be stuck with a dozen bimbos."

"Crap, I can talk to the Sandaime, We will be prepared on the legal end. Getting the stuff together that we would need won't take longer than a month, It's a question of whom would we trust our son's life to? You won't accept Jiraiya, Tsunade's gone, living in a drunken haze, gambling and screwing her way into oblivion. I'd say Mikoto, but she can't with young Itachi. So who is left in the younger generations? Anko, tainted, Kurenai, talented, but weak, Yugao, maybe. I don't believe we can send one person, It will need to be two or more."

"How about a couple of retired ANBU? Or Rin? She still isn't over Kakashi dumping her. Or both? A team to guard and raise him?"

"I'll make quiet inquiries; you talk woman to woman with Rin? She dotes on Naruto all the time as it is. She may not be ANBU, but Naruto would have a mother figure. "

Scene: Hidden Grotto

Date: October 10 2 years after Naruto's Birth

"Step away from your wife or the child dies"

Uchiha Madara and Kakuza the hunter had wiped out 4 squads of ANBU before entering the grotto, Had killed Biwako and her attendants, and had taken the daughter of the Yondaime Hokage hostage.

Minato knew he was in a bad situation. One on One, he could stand up to either man. In this situation, he knew he had little chance. Looking at his wife, he nodded one last time to her , squeezed her hand, looked at his daughter and prayed he could get through this with his family alive and intact.

In the Hokage tower, the preplaced security relay's triggered. The team of 4 now ANBU ranked shinobi knelt in front of the Sandaime in the Hokage's private office.

"The Yondaime's alert system has been triggered. Kushina has cut off chakra to the seal, meaning our foes are engaged with the Yondaime. The constant flow trigger has been released. The Kyuubi may be released at any moment. Your orders are now in effect. The protection and education of the Yondaime's legacy is your only mission parameter. Failsafe point is Tea Country in 2 weeks. If you do not meet in person Jaraiya or an Upper level Toad summon, You are to stay in hiding with young Naruto until such time he is Strong enough to surpass his families expectations. This scroll contains your instructions for care and education. All Materials referenced are in a Will and Blood coded chakra seal set on your charge. I can only hope he gets to come home soon, If not, I hope he doesn't hate the country that stole his family from him for it's safety, Now…..Go"

With that the ANBU closet to Naruto with a wolf mask on put Naruto in a back carrier and strapped it onto her back. Quickly the four ANBU moved in the exact opposite direction of their destination and 90 Degrees left of the path that would lead to the grotto outside the village walls where their Hokage and his family faced extreme danger.

In the Tower, the Sandaime read over the design of the seal Minato had left in case of failure. This seal was different than the Seal of the Kage's wives. This seal completely bound the soul of the Kyuubi to the soul of the sacrifice. The complexity required that the Sandaime lay this design on the infant and charge it with his chakra, but the Reaper jutsu would be required to draw the Kyuubi to the seal. He only hoped he had more than a few moment to choose a child to curse for life, without him or the Yondaime to protect said child.

In the grotto, Minato had immediately pulled 3 kunai and thrown them faster than anyone without a sharingan could see. Kakuza was his by one, but as the Yondaime flashed to try and kill him, Madara warped over to release the Kyuubi, Appearing next to Kushina, With his left hand he released the Kyuubi with his right he threw the child as hard as he could in the opposite direction away from everyone else. If the child impacted the Wall, she was dead. Kushina screamed in pain and rage as she tried to get up, but couldn't. Minato turned from driving a Rasengan into Kakuza, to see his child die before his Eyes. With a sickening crunch, His unnamed daughter was dead. He screamed in rage, warping back to his wife with a rasengan flaring at a level he never had used before. Madara warped over to help Kakuza up, 2 of his 5 hearts destroyed, but still fully battle capable.

"Now my pet, Kill your jailer, kill her husband, Destroy Konoha." Outside the Grotto, the fox growled, her eyes now having Sharingan's in them from Madara's control. Minato tried to break Madara control of the vixen, but that left his wife exposed. She died from a quick intense lightening jutsu from Kakuza, excruciatingly frying her alive. Minato had managed to break Madara's control, but took a wound from the vixen doing it. He would not be able to seal the fox as he bled out organs literally cooked from the impact of a claw through him. His last thought was, "Thank Kami that Naruto got away, be strong my son, be happy."

In the tower, The Sandaime could see the plan to keep _HIM _away had failed, A tear for his wife as he looked out the window of the tower to see the vixen heading towards to outer walls. Turning to the Interior of the office, he spoke.

"ANBU team Alpha. Protocol Flash has failed. Protocol Monkey is now in effect. Grab the first child under the age of 3 months you can reach in the hospital. Bring the child to me. ANBU Internal Security teams 1 through 5 are to proceed with their pre-assigned mission parameters. All other ANBU are to engage the Kyuubi from distance only. "

The ANBU flew out the windows of the Hokage's office as every shinobi in Konoha able to stand had started racing to the walls in an attempt to fight the Kyuubi. This was a critical mistake. One that cost dozens of shinobi whom instead of driving the Kyuubi away, angered it instead. As the ANBU raced to their missions, Some to save Konoha, Some to assassinate council members whom would eventually destroy Konoha in the absence of both the Sandaime and the Yondaime.

A Genjutsu receded behind the Sandaime, revealing Hatake Kakashi, Aged 15, ANBU Captain, trusted student of the Yondaime.

"Kakashi, even though you are young, Minato and I could not think of a better shinobi in Konoha to succeed us. If you cannot get Jiraiya or Tsunade to be the Godaime, You will be the Godaime. Take this scroll, in it are your orders to return the Sannin to Konoha using any force necessary. Konoha will need their strength in the days to come. Take your team off standby and go. "

Ten minutes later, The Kyuubi was sealed into Yamanaka Ino, Her parents and her parents teammates killing anyone whom came near the girl. The body of the Sandaime next to her, holding a scroll containing his last orders to the general forces of his shinobi, orders to kill anyone whom threatens the child in any manner. No excuses, No mercy. Also included was the statement that the Hokage's personal ANBU team had already started the search for the Sannin. The biggest mystery was to happen the next morning when the clans realized Naruto was not in the Hokage residence, nor was any indication left by the Yondaime or his wife where the child was.


End file.
